


Allay

by Nununununu



Series: Comfortween 2020 [11]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Babysitting, Comfortween 2020, Cuddling & Snuggling, Day 11, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Injury, ManDadlorian, Nightmares, Storytelling, Trust, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26979262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/pseuds/Nununununu
Summary: Seriously, she’s got to be the last choice for someone to look after a kid, but needs must.
Relationships: Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Cara Dune
Series: Comfortween 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948441
Comments: 13
Kudos: 72
Collections: Comfortween 2020





	Allay

**Author's Note:**

> 11\. Bad Dreams?  
> For the prompt _comforting someone after a nightmare._

Seriously, she’s got to be the last choice for someone to look after a kid, but needs must. Cara sits up all night next to him with her back against a tree trunk and her blaster propped on her knees, because someone’s got to keep watch to make sure that no one unwanted turns up and the kid doesn’t wake up and toddle off, and it sure isn’t Din.

Din’s off right now tracking down some bounty Cara could absolutely have helped out with – could have done herself more like, no trouble, had she not ended up with a twisted knee and busted wrist after the last job she was on went to shit, thanks to a double-crossing roach of a client.

She maybe should have defended herself better against all the troopers that had poured in, rather than just keeping on punching the bastard until they pulled her off him, but – nah.

“Mm –”

Anyway, there’s a soft sort of blearily inquisitive noise from the blanket-wrapped bundle in the clearing beside her.

“Go back to sleep, kid; it’s fine,” Working her jaw, Cara breathes out through her nose and reminds herself not to grit her teeth at the memories of the job gone wrong, more than the flare of pain when she shifts. Being busted up sucks, sure, but the kid had been so mournful she wouldn’t let him heal her that she’d almost felt kind of bad about it. Still, the injuries are nothing much and are healing up just fine as they are, so there’s no need for him to end up conked out on his little ass on her behalf.

No need for him to be doing anything else to her with those powers either – that too. Not that he’s tried again since the first time, but Cara’s not about to give him an invitation all the same.

He doesn’t look at her so suspiciously these days, at least; has learned to share his dad with her a bit. Not that it’s like _that_ between her and Din, but still – Cara’s got to admit it’s pretty sad the kid hadn’t even known how to identify friendship.

Then again, life the little thing’s had so far, it’s not exactly surprising. Din’s trying, she knows he cares so kriffing much about the kid whether or not he wants to admit to it, but still –

A moan from the bundle much like a summons her attention. _Not_ a happy sound.

“Hey,” Cara takes hold of a corner of the blanket, rocks the kid a little like she’s seen Din do, and makes an effort to soften her voice, “ _Hey_. It’s okay.”

Wrong voice, no doubt. A tiny arm flings itself out from the blanket; a branch overhead explodes with a tremendous _crack_.

“ _Kriff_ ,” Scrabbling forwards onto all fours to shield the baby along with her blaster, Cara grimaces as countless small chunks of wood patter down on her back. Pawing at the blanket as carefully as she’s able, she hurries to check the kid’s actually awake, “Come on, you’re making a mess.”

He’s not awake. Little face all scrunched up in obvious fear and misery, tiny mouth working soundlessly, eyes beaded with tears at the edges, squeezed fiercely closed.

A nightmare?

Compassion grabs Cara’s heart and does its utmost to crush it without thinking to ask her for her say in the matter whatsoever.

“Kid,” She’s seen Din hold him at times like this – a bit awkwardly, yes, but far less so of late – so somewhat cautiously picks him up, “No more exploding trees, okay? Your dad –” Kriff, better not _actually_ call him that in the kid’s hearing, “Din’s going to be real mad if he comes back and finds us flattened. And believe me, you don’t want to see me take on a tree with a busted wrist and this knee. Wouldn’t be pretty.”

There’s a little snort as if at the thought. Glancing down to see wide eyes peering up at her, Cara nearly sags in relief.

“You think that’s funny, do you?” Shifting him more comfortably in the crook of her arm, placing her blaster down next to her in easy reach, she pokes him lightly on the chest, relaxing further when the kid jumps and squeals in amusement as a result, a semi-reluctant grin starting to quirk the corner of her own lips, “I’ve heard about Din learning to ride a blurrg, kid; we both missed out not seeing that.”

“Mah!” That little arm waves up and down unevenly, ears echoing the movement.

“Yeah, I reckon it went something like that, but with more falling,” Leaning back against the tree trunk again once it seems like the danger of further explosions has passed, Cara settles in for some storytelling, “You know, I do have a few other tales about stuff I’ve seen him get up to while you’ve been with whoever else he’s found to babysit. You want to hear them?”

“Mm!” Chewing gummily on his fist, the kid blinks those large eyes up at her in clear anticipation.

“All right then,” Tucking his blanket a bit closer around him, Cara gets started with a particularly good one, easing up on them after a while when the kid yawns and loses the rest of his tension, the nightmare forgotten as he falls back asleep.


End file.
